Gloves Off
The past few hours dragged by slowly for the three men, currently watching over the inert forms of the synths. Like Goldie had told them, there wasn't much for them to do, aside from monitoring the mental patterns of the sleepers. They all took it in turns to watch, but for the most part there weren't any major changes.
That is until the monitors started sounding an alert and Vevina's brain activity was spiking more than before. They were about to consider pulling the plug, until they received a message from Goldie that things were looking bad, but they were handling it. Following that, Jeremy had waited by the monitor. He wasn't going anywhere until he knew Vevina was alright and to act if he was needed.
He spent the next hour or so staring at the screen, alert for any notable sign or change. He wished there was something more he could be doing, especially given who it was. But all he could do was wait and watch.
When the console stopped beeping and Vevina's mental activity became steadier, he still didn't relax until he got the message from Goldie on the screen that all was well. He called Mike and Phil back, the latter coming to peer over his shoulder.
"Alright, things are looking good here." Phil tapped a few keys, looked back at the screen and nodded. "Yeah, guess they'll be coming out soon. If you want, you can give a reply. Just uh, treat it like an email."
"Great!" Jeremy read back over it again and frowned. "What does she mean, the new synths won't be joining us? You think there's still something wrong?"
"I don't know," shrugged Phil. "I-I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Just include it in the reply, I'm sure Goldie will explain."
"Sounds good," said Jeremy, taking a few minutes to type it out and sending it. "Guess we'll just wait."
"Only thing we can do. I don't think it'll be for long though." A beeping sound came from Phil's pocket. "Hold up, I need to make a call." He took out his phone and waved it. "I-I gotta check in with our uh, our glorious benefactor. I set myself a reminder to give him regular uh, updates on everything. Be right back, guys."
Phil left and Mike joined Jeremy beside the monitor. "Any reply from Goldie?"
"Not yet. Wait, hold on," he said as the console pinged. "She says it's nothing to be worried about and she'll explain when they come out. Right, that's helpful."
"It can't be that bad if it's nothing to worry about." Mike looked over at the new synths in the chairs. "I get it though. I'd feel the same if it was the originals."
"I guess." A moment of silence passed between them. "You think we should give them new names? I mean, calling them the originals and the new ones doesn't really feel right. I know they're not human, but they're still people."
"Yeah, that's a good point. I kind of call my group the Fazband," said Mike. "You could call yours the… the um… the Faztastics?"
Jeremy had to laugh. "Okay, you have to admit that was pretty bad."
"Yeah, I'm just spit balling," chuckled Mike. "They're not really related to the Fazbear name anyway, I guess. What would you call them?"
Jeremy pursed his lips in thought. "Well, they enjoyed this acting game I played with them one night. Maybe something like a theatre group, like the Synth Set or the Synth Stage or the Synth Showcase. You know, something that rolls off the tongue."
"M-Maybe that's something to workshop," said Phil, coming back into the room. "Sorry, I caught the tail end of the discussion. You could always ask them if you get the chance to, that is." The console started to beep again. "Hey, looks like the Fazband are waking up."
With the exception of Goldie's animatronic form, they snapped their heads up and opened their eyes. Jeremy was about to welcome them, but immediately saw their demeanour was alert and tense. Freddy was on his feet at once and issuing commands.
"Bonnie, Foxy, scour the restaurant and see if anythin' is out of place. Check the immediate area outside as well, but carefully." Bonnie silently gestured for the key from Mike. Not questioning her evident urgency, he gave it and the two of them hurried away as Freddy rounded on the three humans. "Did any of you see anythin' unusual on the monitor in the past few minutes?"
"No, apart from when we got messages from Goldie but I wouldn't call that unusual," replied Jeremy.
"Were you all in here in that same time span?" asked Chica.
"Yeah, e-except me," admitted Phil. "I had to step outside and make a call to Sid."
Chica glared intensely at him. "What did you tell him?"
"Hey, hey, take it easy," he said, holding up his hands. "I-I was just doing what Sid asked me to do, but like I promised, I didn't give any major details. I-I even recorded it so I could show you after if I needed to, listen."
He pressed a few buttons on his phone and held it up. It started with him greeting the speaker in his usual stammered manner, before a cold, curt voice cut him off.
"Get to the point, O'Neil. What are they doing?"
Jeremy saw how Chica and Freddy tensed even further. Was this the first time they had ever heard the voice of the man who had caused them so much hardship? Come to think of it, Jeremy had never heard it either.
"Right to business, huh? I should have uh, expected that I guess." Phil cleared his throat. "W-Well, they're doing that thing Goldie always did. You know, interacting with them mentally. They started talking really um, well, strangely before. Saying really weird stuff and having no memory after. I-I guess they think they can find the cause that way."
"What sort of things?" asked Sid sharply.
"All kinds. It was like they were in pain or hurting somehow. Kind of reminded me of how uh, people sound in horror movies. You know, when they're running from a monster or something, that kind of panic and fear, I guess." He laughed nervously. "It was really uh, unnerving, I can-"
"Your emotional state isn't relevant," he snapped. "I suspected this might happen, without the Puppet monitoring their conditions and keeping it in check. Tell me the moment if there's any progress and what has been done."
"Y-You got it, sir. Right, I'd better get back. Uh, see you on the-" The line cut out as Sid probably hung up on him.
The two synths exchanged looks with each other. Freddy looked very grave and Chica was positively horrified.
"He knew…" she whispered. "He knew what was happening to them and he…"
"We had a feelin' that would be the case," murmured Freddy. "But that very much confirms it. Thank you, Phil. I apologise for the suspicions levied at you."
"Don't worry about it. What is it, what happened?" he asked. "No offence, but you all look like-"
"THAT BASTARD!" screeched Chica suddenly.
"Woah Chica," said Mike, looking both fearful and concerned. "What happened in there?"
Before either of them could answer, Foxy and Bonnie returned.
"Nothing, boss," she reported. "Not that I could see anyway without coming off as weird to anyone else."
"Aye, nothin' in the restaurant either," added Foxy.
"I didn't think there would be, but it was better to make certain. Good work, both of you." Freddy turned to the three former guards. "We have a lot to catch you gentlemen up on. Why don't we go into the main seating area? This might take a while."
They followed and grabbed some seats. Once they were settled, Freddy gave them a summarised version of their time inside the digital realm. Jeremy's initial relief that the synths he knew were on their way to recovery was clouded by the news as to why. That their minds had been poorly formed using the five dead children and that Spring Bonnie had appeared to whisk them away. They attempted to see if there was any sign of something that could contain his AI core nearby, but had come up with nothing. Goldie would be trying to track him on her end, but admitted it would be difficult and likely wouldn't turn up much.
Jeremy wasn't really paying attention to that last part. He remembered the distressed voices, calling out from inside the synths around the table. The voices of those kids, his brother. He looked over at Clyde. Had Robert Fitzgerald been used to create him? Clyde was the only one of the new synths who was black and he could imagine Sid being the kind of man who fit people and things into categories like that. Was it his brother's voice he heard, despairing from Clyde about how pointless it all was? If it was, then he could understand Chica's rage because it was building in him now.
"Tell me we're going to do something about this," he said after Freddy was done, his voice shaking. "Tell me we're not going to let this stand and give this son of a bitch what's coming to him!"
"I agree," said Mike at once. "We can't let him get away with this or let him think he can hide from what he's done. He's done too much already and this has crossed a line. Not to mention if he's got AI like that Puppet and now Spring, he can't be allowed to go on."
"Seconded. Or thirded, I guess," said Phil humourlessly. "The way he told me, Sid I mean, it was that Fritz Smith was the one who pushed for things to go this far. I-I always had a feeling that didn't add up. If I can do something, anything to help give him what he deserves, I'm in."
"AYE!" bellowed Foxy, thrusting his hook hand into the air. "There won't be anythin' left fer the buzzards ta feed on when I'm done with him!"
"Just make sure you leave something for me," added Bonnie, her legs twitching impatiently.
"You two will have to take a number," said Chica, with quiet menace.
"Then we are all in agreement," surmised Freddy. "Sid Hawthorne has been a shadow in our lives for too long. All who have lingered in it have suffered dearly, rungs on the ladder of his ambition. He turned my sister, our friend, against us. He forced us to hide away, then he took away the only home we ever knew. He has manipulated and abused those who were in his care. Innocent lives have been lost and he placed the blame squarely at our feet. We have always ran and hidden away, hopin' he won't find us. He has now and as Chica has rightly proclaimed, I say no more." Freddy gazed around at them all, rarely seen fury blazing in his eyes. "One way, or another, we are going to bring him down."
Hey everyone! Thanks for coming along to another instalment of the Synthetic Saga.
I'm sorry this took a while to actually get out and slap the complete stamp on. In addition to the pandemic and other nonsense going on, I've also started to strive into the realm of proper writing and started my own novel. I can't be definite on how long it's going to be but I'll do my best.
Last note for anonymous readers: if you have any questions or anything to say, I won't be able to respond to them since there won't be any more chapters going up for this story. However, don't hesitate to PM me and I'll try to answer.
I hope everyone is coping through the pandemic alright. Take care of yourselves and I'll see you all next time.
Be strong, be swift, be just.
Alpha.